Archive for December, 2009

Seriously, pets can really help with health issues like depression. Just check out this article from NewsWeek. I can even speak from experience. I used to have issues with depression. My dogs were always there to help me through the worst days. I don’t have issues with depression anymore but my dogs still bring a smile to my face and joy to my life.

If you have health issues and/or are depressed, getting a pet might not be the answer for you and it certainly wouldn’t be the only answer. But think about it, and be sure to talk to your doctor.

We have another gift idea for your pet lover friends… Donate to your local animal shelter!!

As stated in our previous blog, More Fun Than a Puppy Under the Christmas Tree, giving someone a dog for Christmas is not such a good idea. A lot of dogs adopted out or purchased at Christmas time end up back at the shelter after Christmas. So why not donate to the local animal shelter instead? Since a lot of dogs will be going back to the shelter after Christmas, this is the perfect gift for them until they can find their forever homes.

I just wanted to share a picture of Maya which I altered for Christmas. Maya is a cute yellow lab which I adopted two years ago after Thanksgiving. She was an early Christmas gift which I gave myself. Sephi is my other dog and I love her too, but Maya is more photogenic than Sephi. So Maya is the dog I use to promote the products at Pet Auto Safety.com. (She is also the dog at the top of the Pet Auto Safety Blog.com.) I used Maya’s photo to help me design the Pet Auto Safety logo and she is the dog pictured on the Pet Auto Safety.com website displaying a dog seat belt at Pet Auto Safety.com. The photo from that website is the same photo but as altered above. Isn’t she cute?! (She would never go for this look in real life.)

Are you considering getting someone a dog or puppy for Christmas? Before you do, consider one very important factor. Picking out the right dog can be a very personal experience. You wouldn’t go pick out someone else’s wedding dress, would you? Picking the perfect pet for someone else is just as wrong. Don’t do it!! They could describe every detail to you about what they want, but like finding the perfect wedding dress, picking out the right pet is based not just on description but also on emotion.

But if you know someone who really wants a dog for Christmas, we have a better idea. Give them a stuffed dog along with a gift certificate so that they can pick out their own new best friend. Shopping for the perfect pet could be much more fun than finding it under the Christmas tree. The dog they told you they wanted might not be the one which grabs their heart and says, “Pick me! Pick me!”

The second most important factor to consider before getting someone a puppy for Christmas is whether that person is really ready for a new dog. They can say they want another dog and might emotionally really want one, but are they ready for the responsibility? Perhaps they want a dog, but not just yet. Maybe they have too many other things going on right now. With a gift certificate, they can take the time to consider if they want a dog right now or if they want to wait.

So instead of purchasing a dog or puppy as a gift for someone else this Christmas, go to Walmart and pick out a stuffed dog instead. Make your own gift certificate, buy a gift card to a local animal shelter, or write a check and wrap it with the stuffed dog. The person receiving this gift will be very excited. You might even make them cry with tears of joy!

Looking for fun games for Christmas? We found a fun free place online called Black Dog. Although called Black Dog, the games don’t have a doggie theme. For doggie themed games, check out Dog Games 123. We are still trying to find a good website which combines fun dog games and fun Christmas games. If you know of any, let us know!!

We have modified a great Christmas song to our own shelter dog version. The Twelve Days of Christmas is now The Twelve Shelter Dogs of Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas,
The shelter adopted out a puppy:
A great dog with a mixed pedigree.

On the second day of Christmas
The shelter adopted out a puppy:
Two Beagle loves,
And a great dog with mixed pedigree.

And so on with the final verse as follows:

On the twelfth day of Christmas
The shelter adopted out a puppy:
Twelve Setters sitting,
Eleven pointers pointing,
Ten Chows a-wagging,
Nine poodles prancing,
Eight hounds a-baying,
Seven Labs a-swimming,
Six Pugs a-playing,
Five Golden Retrievers,
Four bird dogs,
Three French Poodles,
Two Beagle loves,
And a great dog with mixed pedigree.

(c) Dawn Ross 2009

Seriously, though… adopting a dog is the best way to go, but be sure you are ready for a new pet. Don’t adopt a dog just because it is Christmas. Adopt a dog because you are ready and you plan on making this dog a permanent member of your family.